Saturday, December 02, 2006

Knitting, priorities, and baby cuteness.

I try to keep from turning this into a motherhood blog, but what with constant demands for baby photos, well, it's your own fault.

First, knitting.

I measured the current mohair scarf and it's 52in/114cm long (unblocked - it will grow), and I'm thinking that's long enough, and to hell with how much yarn is left. (Normally I knit to the end of the skein.) So one way or another, this scarf will be done this weekend, and I'll be down to two left. And I think I'm doing the easy one next.

I'm also still working on the Baby Surprise Jacket:


It's about halfway done, and I about halfway understand the construction. There's also a lot of crossing my fingers and just following directions going on. But it's a REALLY easy knit (I've been doing it while reading) and if it turns out the right size, I may make one for my nephew, take it to Ohio as-is, and let everyone puzzle over it for a while before sewing it together, like a party trick. (Yes. I am desperate for entertainment.)

Reality has also settled over me, in terms of the Geometric Star Jacket. Do not be alarmed, I do intend to knit it. But I want to finish the blue-and-black one-armed sweater first. And don't forget, we've got the Steek-Along coming up January 2. What will probably happen is, I'll start the Geometric Star sometime mid-January and that will be my alternate project while working on the Steeked Jacket with youse guys. (This will be my fourth steeked jacket. I can knit one pretty fast, now.)

So, priorities right now are the two scarves, the gauge swatch for the steeked jacket, and the blue and black sweater, with baby surprise jackets thrown in for relaxation. We're broke right now, which means lots of time at home, which means lots of knitting, so I have hope.

There is an unholy amount of yarn sitting around here. (Normally I'm one of those types who buys yarn with a purpose in mind and then knits it up. My 'stash' is 90% leftovers from old projects or odd balls bought for swatching.) I think we're at the lifetime high-water (high-wool?) mark for yarn in the house; three sweaters' worth and another one on the way. I've GOT to knit some of this up.



Anyway, baby cuteness. I know that's really why I have readers.

Last night The Baby was in my office playing and Sekhmet was on my office chair, and I was knitting. The Baby took one of her toys over to the chair and laid it next to the cat. I told The Baby that was very nice of her to share, but kitties play with cat toys, not baby toys. The Baby crawled out of the office and returned a moment later with a catnip mouse, and tucked it in beside the cat.

There is a scary level of smart going on around here.

She's also decided to talk and seems to be picking up a phrase every couple days now. "Bye-bye" with waving around Thursday, and "Hi Mumum" sometime this week. She's also actively looking for animals and calling them all 'kitty'. We went for a walk, she saw a squirrel, and spent the rest of the walk pointing to the side of the road and saying "kitty?", wanting to see another one.

12 comments:

Sheepish Annie said...

Wait...what??? You can't actually do five billion things at once? Reality is killing me here! I had you down in the "superhero" category in my mind's file cabinet.

I will just have to hang my hat on the fact that you can do four billion things at once and do them well. I'll somehow find a way to cope with the new data.

And a big, "awwww" to the baby for the sharing. That is just about the cutest thing ever.

NeedleTart said...

Elder Son called everything with a tail and four feet "puppy" for years (he's 21 now). We had a cat. Go figure.I knit the surprise baby jacket just to see how it worked out. Enjoy the suspense, and the surprise. Good idea to take it unsewn together. What a great trick that will make.

Anonymous said...

Awwwwww!!
And would ya look at those curls...

debsnm said...

We're all going to wake up one morning and find the cats and babies have taken over - mine's figured out how to open drawers and take out butcher knives (the cat, the kid figured this out years ago, and I trust her.) Kidlet's come home twice now to find the kitchen drawers open, and a large butcher knife balanced delicately on the edge - I wonder if there's a message here?

Bells said...

what a pumpkin. She's so lovely. And they look like best friends sharing a moment in that photo!

My scarf is about 76cm so I think I still have some way to go.....

Alwen said...

Ahhh, my baby fix!

Once they start learning words, they pick them up so dang fast you can't keep track! Whoooooosh!

That's such a cute baby story. *sigh*

Amy Lane said...

The picture of baby and cat is classic!!!! But the idea of not buying wool for stash just blows my mind... how do you do that?

sienna said...

No - I read you for the ranting, the creative swearing & the math-geekiness. The baby photos are just gravy!

Julie said...

What you can't see in the baby/cat photo is, I had tied a catnip mouse to the back of the chair with a long strand of yarn, and they were batting it back and forth between them. That's why my mother-in-law snapped the photo.

I really need to get a video recording of the baby giggling and upload it. You think you've seen cute now... you just wait.


As for not buying yarn just to stash... well... I shop on line and I'm a cheapskate. I've been eyeing those thousand-yard skeins of variegated laceweight lately, though, so look out.

Bells said...

The possibilities are endless!

Baby + cat
Baby + cat + yarn
Baby with mumum's mohair scarves
Baby eating
Baby sleeping
Baby laughing and clapping

I think I'll stop now. :-)

April said...

Could you teach The Baby to say "April" next?

If I can't have The Baby can I have The Cat? She's pretty cute too.

And on the knitting front - I love the colors in the Surprise Baby Jacket.

Anonymous said...

hi, new reader. what is the steek-a-long? will you walk through the way to do it? If so I'd like to sign up. Thanks
Cath